30,000 bees found in New Jersey attic

CAPE MAY, N.J., April 30 (UPI) -- A New Jersey couple who noticed an unusual number of honeybees in their garden said they found a honeycomb and 30,000 of the insects in their attic crawl space.

Victoria Clayton and Richard White, who live at a former bed and breakfast on Washington Street in Cape May, said they noticed many of the bees from their garden were entering their home through a third-floor laundry vent and they soon found there was a honeycomb in the attic crawl space with 30,000 honeybees tending to it, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Monday.

The couple enlisted the help of Gary Schempp, 57, founder of insect rescue group Busy Bees NJ, to relocate the insects.

Schempp said he and his assistant, John Reed, first poured some liquid smoke into the crawlspace, which caused the bees to believe the home was on fire and gorge themselves on honey until they were docile.

The men then pulled out about 25 pounds of honey and nectar, which they said was unsuitable for consumption due to being polluted with dust.

Schempp and Reed used a specially designed vacuum to gather up the bees and transport them back to Schempp's farm.